I'm looking to get a 150mm petty with a wa handle and have no experience with them other than the D handle on a Shun parer. The basic shapes seem to be round/oval, octagon, 'D' and octagonal with a flat or slightly rounded top. The Yoshikane I am looking at is round but am wondering if I'll like it and am thinking about a re-handle. I have medium sized hands and am afraid the round handle might be too clunky.

What shape do you prefer and why?

Dave Martell

01-09-2013, 12:35 PM

I like them all but I'm not a heavy user who might have some good reasons for liking one style over another.

Welcome to KKF :)

chinacats

01-09-2013, 12:43 PM

Greetings! I think it just depends on what you like...if you use a pinch then you really aren't holding that much of the handle so whatever feels comfortable. If you use a hammer grip it may be more important. I have a few different styles--they all feel fine, size might be something to consider more than shape.
Cheers!

El Pescador

01-09-2013, 12:48 PM

Are you planning on using it like a parer to do hand work? Or as a small knife for the board? If it's the first then I prefer an oval. If it's the second or a combination of the two then you would need to try a few different styles to see what you find the most comfortable.

mikemac

01-09-2013, 12:49 PM

Welcome to THE forum....
handles - I think you're over thinking this, especially with a 150 petty. Me - I'm a long time home cook knife and kitchen tool OCD freak, and I just don't use my petty/parer all that much. But when I do, the handle is more of a counterweight to the blade than anything else. Maybe if you're a die hard 'fishing pole' grip person it matters,but for me, any wa-handle feels better in-hand that a western handle, and any western handle feels better just by relaxing the slab edges with sandpaper. Anyway, thats my 2 cents

Adirondack

01-09-2013, 12:59 PM

Thanks for the welcome and advice. Been somewhat of a lurker here for a bit.
I'd be using the knife like a small gyuto with pinch grip rather than a large parer.

K-Fed

01-09-2013, 01:15 PM

I prefer larger octagonal handles, or semi octagonal like those on the suisin Inox Honyaki series of knives. Being a lefty most of the D shaped handles are oriented for right handed users which has probably helped to shape my feelings on this but also having the facets in the octagonal handles lend a very secure feeling to the knife, like it doesn't want to rotate in your hand if it gets a little wet.